Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland says he is so concerned about what he considers a conflict of interest by fellow commissioner Sidney Chism that he has filed an ethics complaint with the county, and also asked the FBI and Shelby County District Attorney's devote resources to an investigation.

But Chism says Roland is confused about how Head Start funds flow to children who may attend his family-owned day-care center, and that a 2006 county attorney's opinion backs him up. County chief administrative officer Harvey Kennedy on Monday also detailed the arrangement of Head Start funding in a way that appears to allow Chism to vote on Head Start issues.

The complaint charges that since being elected in 2006, Chism has voted on resolutions to fund Head Start while his business has a connection to the program.

"I was tipped off that that was going on," Roland said. "If I turn my head I'm just as guilty as they are."

Chism owns Horn Lake Day Care Center, an operation that is run by his wife Lillie Chism, his daughter and granddaughter.

County officials say the center is not a Head Start day care and receives no county money.

It is a community partner through Memphis City Schools. Children whose families meet the income criteria receive wraparound services that include meals, speech and hearing screenings and dental checks.

The services are paid for through TennCare or private insurers and go directly to the service provider, not the day care.

"Most of it goes to the kids," Kennedy said. "It's not like cash money from the government flowing to them It's not like that at all."

The charges will be investigated by the ethics commission, an independent unpaid body appointed by county Mayor Mark Luttrell and approved by the County Commission, Kennedy said.

Roland is also asking Chairman Mike Ritz to form an ad hoc committee or seek outside counsel on the issue.

Ritz said he will wait for the report from the ethics commission before any commission actions are taken.

Chism insists nothing he has voted on was a direct or indirect benefit for his business. And he said Roland knows it.

"Why would he be putting it out there for people to think there's something crazy going on?" Chism said. "He's already been told that there's no violation and that I'm not in a position of violating any ethics."